Love Letters
by BrokenAndDiscarded
Summary: NOT A ROMANCE! (Well not exclusively) A series of murders occur in Tokyo-To and the killer is leaving behind a trail of perverse 'love letters' for Rhyth. What is the killer's connection with Rhyth? RB, GC. R&R please! Chap Three!
1. Intro: Sell My Soul

**Author's Note: **

So hello, folks! This is my first ever fanfiction for the **Jet Set** section, although I have wandered around reading and reviewing. [My previous s/n was Jasmine] I hope you guys like and if anyone has any interest in **Zelda** or **Digimon** fics, please check out some of my others. 

Also this is a gore horror story with a little smidgen of comedy and romance in the mix. Despite what the title might suggest, this is not a **FLUFFY BALL OF MUSH**! The title will make sense later on, trust me on this please. There will be a few couplings though [Rhyth/Beat, Corn/Gum], sorry these are my preferences, and if you don't share in my fondness you might want to not read this. Also all titles of my chapters I have decided will come from the titles or lyrics from many of the wonderful songs off the '**Romeo + Juliet**' soundtrack just because I was listening to it at the time and love it o so very much.

**Love Letters**

By Heather [A Whisper]

Intro: Sell My Soul 

"I would sell my soul 

For something pure and true,

Someone like you"

-- "#1 Crush" -- Garbage -- 

       A swollen moon hung iridescent in the pitchless sky that stretched its electric stars out past the cement horizon of Tokyo-to. Buildings pressed out to scratch the deep night, prick into the black until it would finally bleed color. The park was dead at night, the vivid greens turned metallic and blue in the outlines of the moon. A tall man scampered along the grass, his lanky form covered in an overbearing black sweatshirt, his hood pulled up to shadow most of his long narrow face. His skin was pale though, ashen, turning his face into a pallid harvest moon in the dark. Deep sagging circles under his bloodshot eyeballs that sunk into his skull, fell back until they might disappear. His walk was snippy, fidgety; he needed a fix and fast. Drug dealers were known to make the park their nightly hangout, to wait for the addicts to crawl out from whatever sewer or warehouse they were sleeping in like cockroaches spreading their silver wings in the decaying midnight. 

_God, I need something... So bad. My veins feel thick; my blood's clotting in me. It hurts so bad, the pain in my head. I can't go on without it in me. Life's shit without it. _ 

Finally he saw someone up ahead, past a few benches, and he grinned to himself. The person was in black, a small shadow. It looked like a dealer to him; they wore black and tried to make themselves as undistinguishable as possible. The air was muggy and stifling around him, laced with moisture. He pulled back his hood as he approached and overgrown locks of chestnut clung to his forehead. 

"About fucking time, man. I've been waiting..." he called with a laugh. By now he could almost taste the drugs, feel them creeping around under his skin, taking away all the shit he hated about the world. 

His smile died on his lips as the person turned around. His stare was eerie; deep stone that appeared almost inhuman, sad and estranged. Shadows and the folds of his robe disguised everything else recognizable. The moon caught against the blade of a knife just in his hand, the edge long and precise. "So have I," he said, his voice low and a growling whisper. 

No one heard his screams and the night moved on. 

--

**End Note:** Ok so short I know but this is just the beginning! I was going to make this part of Chapter One but it didn't look right squished all together. I'm posting this and Chapter One all at once though so you guys don't stone me to death. ::_Dodges a shoe_:: Or.... shoe me to death? ^-^ Now on to Chapter One, come on you know its calling your name. Hee. 

Yea and if you have the '**Romeo + Juliet**' soundtrack, pop it in! [If not, go buy it! Ha] This Garbage song ["#1 Crush"] fits this whole story perfectly, but even the sound feels like the mood of this fic. So yea, if you listen to the songs while reading it just adds to it in my opinion.  


	2. Chapter One: Lovefool

**Author's Note: **

So hello, folks! This is my first ever fanfiction for the **Jet Set** section, although I have wandered around reading and reviewing. [My previous s/n was Jasmine] I hope you guys like and if anyone has any interest in **Zelda** or **Digimon** fics, please check out some of my others. 

Also this is a gore horror story with a little smidgen of comedy and romance in the mix. Despite what the title might suggest, this is not a **FLUFFY BALL OF MUSH**! The title will make sense later on, trust me on this please. There will be a few couplings though [Rhyth/Beat, Corn/Gum], sorry these are my preferences, and if you don't share in my fondness you might want to not read this. Also all titles of my chapters I have decided will come from the titles or lyrics from many of the wonderful songs off the '**Romeo + Juliet**' soundtrack just because I was listening to it at the time and love it o so very much.

**Love Letters**

By Heather [A Whisper]

Chapter One: Lovefool 

"I can't care about anything but you, 

Anything but you,

Love me, Love me,

Say that you love me."

-- "Lovefool" -- The Cardigans --

        "Hey, its not my job to warn you that an object is hot!" Rhyth protested with a shout. Their argument clouded the kitchen area as the two squared off, an angry Beat on the other side. The petite girl continued with a sardonic smirk, "You think you would have worked this skill out by now, like when you were five. Hey, here's a heads up, the stove will probably be hot too - maybe even the shower." Her shoulder length indigo hair was mussed and her pretty face was actually void of any makeup, unusual for her. She was adorned in a little baby blue tee with a kitty's face on it, hugging all the curves of her body and showing toned midriff, and white underwear that rode up her slender thighs. Of course it left little to the imagination, but none of Rhyth's clothing really did. 

       Her brooding GG teammate glowered venomously at her. His auburn hair was splayed from sleep and he was dressed in long dark blue shorts and a white tee shirt that read _'You're All Sheep' _over his tan lanky form. He spat in return, "That's not even the point! You treat the bathroom like its yours, with all your makeup crap everywhere -"

       Rhyth interrupted pointedly, "'Makeup and crap', not 'makeup crap'."

       Beat furrowed his brow and responded irately, "Fuck, what's it matter?"

       The porcelain-skinned girl made a clicking sound with her tongue. "Well there's a difference, my makeup certainly isn't 'crap'," she chided matter-of-factly.

       Shafts of filtered light passed through the kitchen window and over the cold linoleum tiles. Outside a vivid blue and yellow morning seeped its way along the horizon, across the city of sin. "God, I can't live with a person like you!" Beat exclaimed in wilted frustration, throwing up his hands. "If I have to hear one more statement that begins with 'Like' or 'O my God' I think I'll shoot myself; is there anything else going on in your brain besides makeup and fashion? Seriously, it was the girls like you I use to avoid in high school," he grumbled.

       Meanwhile the stairs sighed under the weight of feet as some of the other Ruddies made their staggering way to the kitchen. They meet the sight of the two feuding GGs with little excitement or shock; it was just another morning at the Garage. The only one who was the least bit startled was Potts, who paused from wedging his wiggling cold nose between the plaid sofa cushions to stare vacantly at them.

       Cube, dressed in loose black sweats and a ribbed white tank top over her full chest, groaned, "They're fighting again?" Her dark hair was pulled back into a tight ponytail at the nape of her neck and she actually didn't have her usually thick, exaggerating kohl eyeliner on. She sat on a stool by the counter as Garam pulled out a few cereal boxes for them, propping an elbow against the tabletop. 

       The young man with the shaved head for his part wasn't wearing his usual bug goggles. Pouring Cube and himself a bowl each of cereal, he mused, "Do you even have to ask?"

       Corn and Gum were the next to trail groggily down the stairs. Corn scratched at his bedraggled sandy blonde hair and yawned. He was dressed in boxers and a tee shirt. The young man questioned as he regarded the fighting pair, "What are they arguing about now?"

        "I think Rhyth's curling iron burnt Beat, judging by the string of obscenities I heard him hollering very early this morning," Gum related as she came to her boyfriend's side. She was dressed only in one of Corn's baggy sports shirts and long tan legs stretched out beyond the hem; her pale flaxen, cropped hair was rumpled. "But who cares, just sit down and try to dodge any flying projectiles," Gum added and plopped down at the table, pulling Corn down with her. 

       The small woman narrowed her eyes, strokes of light fracturing along the deepest blues. "'Avoid'? I think you mean they wouldn't even look at you! Like I hate to tell you this because judging from your massive ego no one ever has, but you're not a dream come true either. If I have to listen to one more song from some whiny grungy band I think I'll puke. You make everything I own smell like smoke and you have to be the messiest person I've ever known in my entire life!" she snapped back, completely ignoring the gathering crowd.

       "Is it just me or do they sound like an old married couple?" Gum inquired under her breath, as she tangled a bare foot between Corns under the table. 

       Cube nodded and responded, swirling cereal in her bowl with a spoon, "Yup, even worse then you two." 

       "Hey!" Corn and Gum piped up together with indignant. 

       The gothic Ruddie woman gave them a deadpan stare and mock cooed, "Awww, and you're even doing the whole 'speaking in unison' thing. How... **sickening**? Yes sickening is the optimal word in this case." Then she went back to her cereal and the couple shot edged glares at her back.

       Beat's temper flared and he yelled, shoving a hand in his pocket and the other gesturing in the air, "Yea well its better then being little Ms. Anal Retentive! If I even leave a sock out I get a screaming match, not everything has to be perfect all the time you know. I'd think you'd even have organized your panty draw if I didn't know they were made of ice!" Rhyth gasped and then scowled in return. 

       The stairs again began to moan and Yo-Yo staggered down, dressed in heart boxers and a tee shirt that read '_The King Of Pimp_'. He rubbed sleep and sunlight from his eyes with a fist and then whined, "Dude, they woke me up! And I was just having the best dream..." 

       Cube snorted and replied vulgarly, "Come on, don't lie, you were up jerking off for the last hour, you little pervert."

       The green haired boy slid into a seat by Cube and snatched up a box of sugar-loaded flakes. "Well you got me. Mmm, my dream was of all you GG girls having a naked pillow fight," he relinquished with a cheeky grin. 

       The pale skinned woman blanched and crinkled her nose as she watched dribbles of milk spill across Yo-Yo's chin as he chewed down. "God, I need to go take a shower... A really really long one... In choleric acid," she balked. 

       The auburn haired young man added, holding up his hand to show the red vertical mark, "Yea and side note, that iron did hurt."

       "I thought you said that wasn't the point..." Rhyth questioned, crossing her slender arms in front of her. 

       "It isn't," Beat admitted and then continued, almost in a childish tone, "But it did!"

       Rhyth rolled her aqua eyes and sighed, "Well I said I was sorry, alright. Would you like me to pad up all our sharp edges too just encase you end up running into one and getting another 'ouchie'?"

       The rebellious GG glowered at her and exclaimed with loathing, "Patronizing bitch."

       Rhyth propped her hands up to her slender hip and sniffed, "Pathetic asshole."

       "Valley girl!"

       "Village idiot!"

       Corn groaned and held Gum's hand with a free hand, the other tapping against the tabletop in boredom. "And as predicted, the argument deteriorates to the fifth grade level..." he said with exasperation.

       "Spoiled brat!"

       "Loser!"

       The door flung open and an urgent Clutch skated in, along with butter cream light that spread along the Garage floor. "Uh guys, sorry to interrupt such stimulating and interesting conversation but I have someone outside who wants to come in," the red head interjected and stopped the conversation before it had any time to linger in prolonged immaturity.

       Combo, who had just now thudded down the stairs dressed in shorts and a tee shirt, asked in his heavy urban accent, "Who's it?"

       Clutch shrugged his shoulders and informed them, "I'm not sure. It looks like some junky, she ran up to me while I was out skating and told me she had to speak to Rhyth pronto. I couldn't get anything else out of her though, sorry. She looks like a crackwhore to me but it's your call." He looked to Rhyth then to make the decision.

       Rhyth hesitated for a pause but then nodded and said, "Let her in."

       Wordlessly, Clutch bladed towards the door and motioned for someone to enter. A thin scrawny woman came in through the bleaching white sun then, cutting a long thin shadow across the wall that moved with twitchy steps. She was emaciated to the point of looking deathly, even skinner then Rhyth, and her hair was dark brown and stringy, balding in some spots. She was dressed in torn up jeans and a stained blue sweatshirt that hung off her skeletal frame. Her eyes were wide hazel, swelling in undulating dilations, and fringed with blistering red from too much crying and too much drugs. "He's dead... The police are going to say it was a fucking drug deal gone wrong or some shit because it's no skin off their backs but I know the truth. I know the truth... I was the one who found him in the park," she began to ramble and her voice was gritty and breaking with tears. 

       Rhyth knitted her slender eyebrows together and fought her initial shock at the woman's appearance. "What... What are you talking about? And how do you know me?" she finally asked. 

       The woman met Rhyth's gaze and unshed tears burned in her eyes. "Sakiki. He's dead," she stated blankly and it hit Rhyth's eardrums like detonated fireworks. Her petal lips fell open in a soundless gasp and a tremble spread along her body, up along the trail of her elongated spine. The woman made of bones went on, "I remembered you, Rhyth right? I heard of you, a member of the GGs. I knew you were the one in the note. I knew it." 

        Rhyth balled her hands into fists by her side, attempting to subside the shaking that traveled through them like electricity currents. _It can't be true, no way, no how. _She shook her head, strands of cobalt splaying against her flushed cheeks, and questioned, as if somehow she had interpreted it wrong, "What note? I don't understand..."

       The straggly woman extracted a paper from her flat back pocket and handed it to Rhyth who took it cautiously. "Either do I, its all meaningless shit. But its to you so here you go, I found it right with him. Blood everywhere and this... fucking **letter**..." she replied as she bit back her sobs under a disposition of unreadable emotions.

       Rhyth looked down at the folded paper in her hand before glancing back up at the sunken-in face. Her tidal eyes were awash with sincere sympathy and she offered softly, "I'm... I'm sorry, about his death."

       The ashen woman grinned ruthfully and gave a wet cough. "Yea well, you're probably the only one," she admitted with a bittersweet laugh and then continued, her tone growing vulnerable, "Us drug leeches; we don't mean much ya know... But he... He was getting clean, I know he went to the park to score a hit, but... I could tell things were getting better. We were getting better, he was trying so hard to stay clean and so was I... Well I don't think I can last long now though, after everything that's happened... He meant something to **me**." A tear made an iridescent track along her skin and she turned then and walked out of the Garage, into the daylight.   

       Rhyth watched after her and the silence fell on them like dead weight. Finally Yo-Yo chirped up, his squeaky pre-pubescent voice stirring everyone back to the moment, "What was that about?"

       The small woman bit her bottom lip gently and responded vaguely, "I'm not sure..."

       Beat offered skeptically, reasoning, "Sounds to me like a load of bullshit. She could have just been rambling off a hit ya know? What's the letter say?"

       Rhyth looked down at the paper in her hand and reluctantly untucked the folds with her fingertips. Her eyes roved over the paper before broadening with sudden alarm and shock. Her face became deathly pale and the world grew hazy, blurring into a numbing black, eclipsing her pupils until shadows spread under her eyelids. Her deep blue eyes rolled up into her skull and Combo leaped foreword just as her knees gave way, catching her in his massive lumber arms. The GGs caroused with gasps and watched on in concern and disbelief.  

       Cube stood and picked the letter off the floor tiles. She pressed it up towards the light and read the message aloud to everyone. "I bet you tasted sweet under that apple tree, Rhyth-chan. Sweet. You're always so damn sweet."

--

       Slanted arcs of rain slashed their silver streaks against the dark star-encrusted sky, the pale white moon glistening against the wet until the whole city flickered. The sounds of night murmured on; babies wailing, domestic disputes, and the stumbling of sirens in the dark. The four GGs alternated between shadow and smears of gilded light from overhead streetlamps.

       Yo-Yo and Cube were farther back, trailing behind Rhyth and Beat. Their skates glided over the streets and alleyways, rupturing splattering puddles. The group all wore black to be less distinguishable and move along the city without raising any suspicions, from other gangs and police alike. Yo-Yo, dressed in a loose slouching black sweatshirt and black baggy pants, was dragging behind considerably. Rainwater soaked through his hood and dripped down his face, rolling against his lips as he spoke. "It's so cold," he moaned and shivered slightly from the frozen drops and cool air fluttering over his skin. He was damp all the way through and his limbs felt solid, like waterlogged wood. A gust of wind threw a hail of rain into his eyes and he grumbled, "I'm getting rain up my nose. Just peachy."

       Cube was a few paces ahead of him and did her best to allow his comments to not faze her. Dressed in a black tank top and black pants that formed to her legs, it was apparent rain never really bothered her. It slipped over her pale flesh, making her slick and glistening like an ocean seashell. She plowed on, gritting over her shoulder, "Hey, you mind shutting the fuck up. Do you think this is anyone's idea of fun? No, but we're going out because someone died tonight and somehow this is all related to Rhyth. Now do us all a favor and stop whining or else I'll make you hurt in ways you didn't think were possible."

         The boy sighed and nodded reluctantly, admitting, "Ok, ok, sorry. You're right; I was acting like a jackass..." Then, peering into the onslaught of rain, he watched Cube's shapely backside bob with her movements. With a watery grin, he chortled, "Save some of that fire for the bedroom though ok, Babycakes."

        Cube narrowed her eyes against the biting cold. _Of course, everything in his entire body can be numb except for one thing. _"How about I smack you around?" she growled. 

       Yo-Yo smiled roguishly and prodded her on, saying, "O ya, baby, ya. Make a man out of me."

       The woman had had enough, she was soaping wet and, forgive her, but was not in the best of moods to be sexually harassed. She whipped around on her skates and without a second's pause, flicked her hand out and crossed his face hard with her palm. He yelped in pain and Cube spat in annoyance, "Or I could make you a chick."

       Yo-Yo's pupils grew smaller and he responded in a high-pitched voice, "And I'm shutting up now." Cube turned around then and kept skating, Yo-Yo hesitantly following and rubbing at his swollen jaw. 

        Farther ahead Rhyth was speeding on, Beat trying his best to keep up. Normally the two were pretty much evenly paced but Rhyth had determination flickering in her deep aqua eyes and pushed on through torrents of cold rain. Beat was doing his best and wet breaths fell hard in his burning lungs. He was dressed in a black jacket over a tee shirt and black loose pants with a swinging pocket chain, his auburn hair tousled and falling into his chestnut eyes. "Hey do you think you could stop moving at light speed? Cube and Yo-Yo are falling behind," he called out between breaths. 

       _Sakiki. He could be... No he's not. I've just got to make sure it was all a load of crap and then things will be fine. _Rhyth pushed herself towards the brink of exertion, he'd never seen her this fueled by will power. Her skates broke over puddles that reflected back the twinkling spinning lights of the city and her knee-length black jacket fluttered against her sleek form. She wore a black midriff revealing top underneath and a pleated skirt, black stockings covering her slender contorting calves. Her hood covered most of her face in concealing shadows, except for the determined grimace and the blistering eyes. "Well that's their problem if they can't keep up, they'd be fine if they started moving their asses," she barked, her tone unusual and grating. __

_       He could be..._

Beat could hear the uncertainty and fear eating away at Rhyth's words, she was never this self-possessed. The young man reached a hand out and clutched onto Rhyth's delicate wrist, pushing his skates into the asphalt for traction. The beauty spun around, gazing at Beat with questioning blue eyes. His breath came out in billows of hot white air as he said, winded, "Look at me, Rhyth. Everything is going to be fine. We're not even sure if that woman was telling the truth, and even then this could all just be a hoax. Just calm down, everything's ok."

       Rhyth paused now, breaths heaving in her chest, and her long eyelashes flickered with each blink. _He's right. What am I doing? I have to stay levelheaded, me worrying won't help anyone. _She nodded her head softly and peered down at the ground through a blanketing of rain. She said, "...You're right." Then, looking up with a slight grin on her petal lips, she continued, "Thanks Beat, that's what I needed to hear."

       He watched her and could feel his heart grow lightweight and flutter in his ribcage, her smiles lately had that affect on him. "Sure, no problem," he replied quietly and became aware of her pulse moving against his fingertips, the warmth of her petite body as she became closer to him, as her fear melted away. That's one thing you could always say about Rhyth, she wore her emotions out there for everyone to see. _Not like me, I don't own up to my feelings. Ever. _Beat pushed away from her then, taking a gliding step foreword and calling over his shoulder, "Now come on, the slow asses are finally catching up."

       Rhyth nodded and followed Beat before matching pace with him eventually. Yo-Yo and Cube were now not too far back and Yo-Yo bellowed through clots of downward slanting rain, "Hey who you callin' a slow ass? Speaking of asses, Rhyth baby, yours is looking especially nice from this angle."

       The young woman laughed slightly and snorted, "Yea well get a good look because this is as close as you'll ever get to my 'ass'."

       The four GGs slid along Tokyo-To like electricity currents moving over telephone wires, the rain continued to fall and dribble down gutters. A scrawny drenched mutt shuffled through a trashcan and then roamed by, searching for sewer rats that had fled above ground for a midnight meal. Up ahead they could see the tall brick walls of the park, crumbling and in sore need of repair. The sign above it read, 'Hideko Park', the gilded paint flecked and flaking off. They entered cautiously and skated along the twisting, decaying paths. Once this park had been beautiful, a verdant gem in an otherwise morbid city, a reminder of how life once was. However as the new members of government took power and priorities shifted from preserving natural landmarks to tracking down and defecting 'Ruddie menaces', the park deteriorated to a cease pool for the low-life's of the city. The grass was scattered with syringes and bottles, fragments of glass sprinkled on the cement walkways and catching pale moonlight to shimmer in feigned beauty. Here Hideko Park lay in earnest waste, succumbing to the gritty reality of Tokyo-To. 

        They skated on unsure because none of them had really ever spent time in the druggie-infested park, however Cube now took to leading them. Apparently she'd been here quite often however no one wanted to question her on why that was, her past was seedy and she did what she had to survive. She didn't have to explain for it to them. The raven-haired woman saw something up towards an outcropping of trees and stepped over the damp grass, bending down blades with her skates. Now everyone could see, through the haze of metal rain, a band of yellow tape and a police car parked haphazardly by it. 

Beat crept foreword and peered in through the foggy windows of the car. He turned back to the group with a croaked smile and replied to their sober faces, "No worries, the fat lazy copper fell asleep. Now lets go see what this really is about." 

Up until this point there had been a chance everything the crazed woman had said was a lie; this was all they had for conformation. If a druggie had been killed in the park, it wouldn't be announced over the daily news or even DJ-K. The homeless and the other castaways of society passed away all the time on the streets, from gang wars and murders and over doses. No one cared, not the 'respectable' people anyway, it was one less hobo in the world, one less person to beg them for change as they passed them on their way to work. Even the police didn't give much thought to it, ruling everything off as casualties of the dark side of Tokyo-To. They hadn't even bothered removing the body, just left it there in a body bag, entwined in yellow caution tape, because it had grown too dark and they decided it could wait until morning. What did it matter if most the evidence was being washed away? They'd already decided the cause anyway, there was nothing left to do but torch the corpse in the incinerator. 

They moved closer, towards the black mound lying in the damp grass, beads of rain hitting and spilling over it. There was a walkway close by with a small drain and water siphoned along the edge. The small river was pink now, sickening pink, **blood** pink. 

Cube stood over the body bag and her face was cold and stiff. Then she craned her neck and faced Rhyth. "You're not going to faint on us again are you?" she asked, with more concern then scorn.

The small girl stared at the heap and couldn't move. She forced her lips to make words, although her cobalt eyes never left the black form, and she responded tightly, "No, I won't."

Cube nodded and then the dark haired woman leaned over and, without a word, pulled down a leaf of the tarp. Rain rushed over her fingertips and she was suddenly staring down into a sunken face. The skin was ashen white, pale and glistening, and the eyes were pitchless black, staring up, glazed over in a thin milky film, and they shown twin reflections of the moon. His mouth was open, his cheeks sallow and collapsing in, revealing sharp cheekbones. "God..." Cube grimaced and pulled back at the ghastly sight, the corpse already smelling like rotting flesh.

Yo-Yo blanched and reflexively breathed, "Fuck, man. That's real."

The GGs stared down at the body and the motionless face and the silence fell over them as they tried to rethink everything. So what the woman had said was true? So they couldn't just shrug it all off, this was very real. All along they hadn't even considered the possibility that it was real because... if it was, then something very wrong was going on. 

Rhyth was trembling under her jacket, her heart thudding against her chest, her eyes exploding wide. She spun around and suddenly skated off, as best as she could on grass and with rain falling on her, slicking the ground. Her thoughts were thundering inside her skull, all her fears realized, her hood falling down. Her breath wasn't catching, her throat was a broken latch, and she was feeling light-headed. Tears tumbled down the slopes of her cheeks, mixed with rain, and she could hear someone following, calling her name plaintively. All she could do was run. _Keep running. Don't stop. _She was suddenly in a thick patch of trees and the soft tapping of rain against leaves echoed in her ears. Her skates lost their grip over decaying vegetation and she fell to her knees. Pulling herself up, tears and dirt smudged along her cheeks, she kept on moving, leaves plastered to her bleeding knees.

A hand grabbed her wrist again and she could hear Beat's voice, Beat's warm caring voice, hot against her ear. "Rhyth, come on, stop! Running away isn't going to help anyone," he shouted. 

She turned and her face was grievous and angry. Rain trickled from the ends of her spiraling wet blue hair and her large eyes met his, weary and filled with pain. "I don't fucking care! Because right now, someone I know is lying in a fucking body bag, alright! God, that was my first boyfriend, my first kiss!" she cried, her voice splitting with tears. Maybe she couldn't be the nice one all the time; maybe she couldn't be expected to be calm and kind and worry about 'helping anyone' all the time. And God, if there was ever a time, it was **now**. Right now all she wanted to be was irrational and get away, as far as possible. 

Beat looked taken aback and he watched her face, allowing her to pull her hand from his. "I didn't know..." he finally said in shock.       

       Rhyth looked wild with fear and memories. She stepped away, pushing her back against a tree trunk, her jacket soaping in the grimy moisture. She stared at Beat and yet was looking past him, into the distance, into things she'd forgotten. "I can still remember everything, it was autumn and the leaves were on fire... And he took my hand and... kissed me. Just like that, and we didn't know what to say... And a leaf fell on his shoulder and I laughed and then he laughed," she whispered and her breath was ragged and came out in white turrets of air. Her head was pressed against the tree, her hair dismantled and lying limp against her shoulders. 

       The auburn haired boy listened and his dark eyes were wide with understanding. "The letter..." he suddenly said with knowing.

       The young woman's face fell into her hands, her fingers swiping away the rain that beaded along her long lush eyelashes. "Yes, the letter. Someone thinks its funny to fuck with me. He's dead and his killer wrote me that letter, about things no one else knew," she said softly, the hurt and anger throbbing in her throat.

       "I had no idea, Rhyth. I'm sorry," Beat mumbled and his chestnut hair was roused with rain and falling into his eyes. He wanted to hold her; she seemed so small, so vulnerable, so pale, like at any moment she could break. "Maybe... Maybe this is someone's sick idea of a joke," he finally offered, trying to subside her swelling tears.

       Her hands fell away and she glared up through her eyelashes. "A joke?" she questioned with menace. "A joke! Well then its fucking hilarious! I'm not a skitzo, I'm not imagining anything, this isn't a joke! This is real, Beat. Everything's not going to be fine!" she continued, yelling. _How dare he! Sakiki's dead, I'm not overreacting. He can deny it all he wants but someone's out to get me! _

Beat didn't know what to say anymore; obviously he couldn't say anything to relieve her of her anguish. "Come on, let's just get back..." he began and reached out, his fingers grazing the soft skin of her lower arm. 

       Rhyth's hand suddenly reeled foreword, catching Beat across the cheek. Beat watched her strike him and didn't move because his mind half believed it. The Rhyth he knew would never hurt anyone purposely, sure the Rhyth he knew was also annoying, but she was **never** cruel. Her fingers made separated red streaks against his tan skin and he stared blankly at her. "Leave me alone, don't touch me!" she screamed, her mind turning in on itself. He wasn't the enemy but suddenly she thought he was, everyone was. 

       Beat stayed emotionless even though inside he was in pain at having her hate him yet again. _Why do I even try? _"Fine. Fucking see if I care," he growled and turned, his deep eyes burning with anger. He skated off, Rhyth watching his back disappear among the outcropping trees. 

       Rhyth was trembling now uncontrollably, her lips were tinged with blue and frozen, tears rolling over them, over her ivory teeth. She collapsed, sliding down the trunk of the tree, to her knees. The sobs washed over her like tides and she buried her face in her hands. 

--  
  


         Up above, the rain fell against the leaves, making wet popping sounds. Branches reached out their gnarling fists towards a gray expansion of night sky, blending together bursting white stars and metallic arcs of rain. The wind rushed over the trees, clawing out greedily for every space it could occupy. The figure hunkered down close to the trunk, hands grasping like talons to the bark of the shifting branch. Eyes smoldered stony blue, edged and gray, emotionless and estranged. 

       _Come on, cry, Rhyth-chan. I can taste your tears.  _

It watched from its perch, through the parting of leaves, at the little whimpering figure below. Its hunger was incessant. 

       _Soon you'll realize you're mine. Soon everyone will realize. All mine. You cry because your scared, scared of what I'll do. Goodie, goodie. I love when I can play with my dolls.  _

It watched Rhyth stand shaking and then unsteadily walk off. 

       _Soon._

--

**Closing Note:** So that's Chapter One! What do you think? Please tell me, I'm really trying my best to make this interesting! Thanks for reading so far and I'll try to have the next chapter done soon. ^_^

Ok and since I'm such an imagery freak and like to get a clear picture of what's going on in a story, I decided to add some links of what **I **think Rhyth and Beat look like as real people, as **I** imagined them in my story. [Add the www before each address and sorry guys, I added spaces because for some reason ffnet was not posting the whole addresses. Just delete the spaces in between... -_-]

**Rhyth (Tasha Tilberg) **- 

(famousbabes. com/ pics118/tasha/tasha006. jpg 

(famousbabes. com/ pics118/tasha/tasha018. jpg)

**Beat (Orlando Bloom)** - 

(ar. com. au/~jriddler/ba/ba-ob. jpg)

(ciudadfutura .com /elcriticon/orlandobloom. jpg)

I think I'll do that every chapter; it helps people, or **me** at least, to think of clothes and general imagery. Ok, well, so long! 

  ****


	3. Chapter Two: Lord Of Love

**Author's Note: **

So hello, folks! This is my first ever fanfiction for the **Jet Set** section, although I have wandered around reading and reviewing. [My previous s/n was Jasmine] I hope you guys like and if anyone has any interest in **Zelda** or **Digimon** fics, please check out some of my others. 

Also this is a gore horror story with a little smidgen of comedy and romance in the mix. Despite what the title might suggest, this is not a **FLUFFY BALL OF MUSH**! The title will make sense later on, trust me on this please. There will be a few couplings though [Rhyth/Beat, Corn/Gum], sorry these are my preferences, and if you don't share in my fondness you might want to not read this. Also all titles of my chapters I have decided will come from the titles or lyrics from many of the wonderful songs off the '**Romeo + Juliet**' soundtrack just because I was listening to it at the time and love it o so very much.

O ya and some of the inner thoughts was not showing up _italicized _so I added the // around them!

**Love Letters**

By Heather [A Whisper]

Chapter Two: Lord Of Love 

"She was on fire last night,

And I was breathing gasoline

I had a dream last night,

And it fit me like a glove

I had to scream last night

Lord of Love"

-- "Whatever (I Had A Dream)" -- Butthole Surfers --

       _The sun spread luke-warm over the tepid autumn day, a white sun bleaching the blue sky like bones. A brick red building lay amidst the neighboring suburban houses, a sleepy tin bell beat out its bleating pulse and the wide doors soon swung open. Children trickled out, hooting and laughing, racing their sneakers over the hot blacktop. _

_         Rhyth emerged, enveloped in a gaggle of giggling girls, all dressed in identical plaid skirts and white button down blouses. Her long black hair fell down her back and she had large dewy blue eyes, white stockings pulled up to her bony knees. _

_       One of her friends, with her flaxen hair pulled back in a plaited braid, started skipping and gestured for Rhyth to follow. "Come on Rhyth, let's play hop scotch!" she chortled in her high-pitched voice. _

_       The dark haired girl laughed slightly and nodded, calling after her, "Kay!" She began to walk away when someone called after her._

_       "Rhyth!"_

_       She recognized the voice of the boy and merely held her head higher and quickened her pace. "I'm not talking to you, Sakiki. Go away," she sniffed._

_       A lanky little boy followed, his light brown hair highlighted with blonde from the glaring sun. He was dressed in a uniform as well, black slacks and a white button down shirt. Sakiki was in sixth grade, a year older then Rhyth, and acted much older then his age allowed. He was outgoing and charming, with a way of getting anyone to smile. "O come on, don't be mad. I didn't mean it, honest, Rhyth," he pleaded as he continued chasing her. _

_       Rhyth switched courses and moved behind the twisting jungle gym, littered with kids, in an attempt to loose him. However Sakiki just followed, long lines of shade drawn over them. The girl spat, "I said, go away, Sakiki! You're stupid and I hate you!"_

_       Sakiki jumped in front of her, blocking her path and forcing her to stop running away. Grinning broadly, he replied good-naturedly, "I might be stupid but you don't hate me. Come on, follow me."_

_       The girl sighed and gave in; Sakiki grabbed her hand and began tugging her towards the large open schoolyard. Grass rolled out in roving waves, looking limitless to two school children. By now Rhyth could not prevent a smile from flittering over her lips, and she said sarcastically, "I thought you didn't want to touch me. I have cooties remember?"_

_       Sakiki shrugged and teased, "I know but its ok, I'll just wash my hands after."_

_       Rhyth squealed with giggles and hit him playfully on the shoulder. Now they were walking together, holding hands, and the laughter dissipated. Glancing down at the ground, she questioned softly, "Why... Why do you say mean things about me to your friends?"_

_       The boy slowed until he stopped walking altogether, thinking to himself. The sun spread itself over his pale skin and he looked up at Rhyth. "I... I don't know. I don't think... they'd get it. I mean, I want to be nice to you. But then... I see you and I get dizzy and there's this funny feeling in my stomach and... you're so pretty. I just can't help it. I'm sorry, Rhyth," he replied._

_       Rhyth met his gaze and nodded, long strands of hair falling over her shoulders. She smiled slightly and said, "Its ok. I know you are."_

_       They stood for a pause longer and clutched onto the soft feeling of each other's small hand. Then Sakiki trumpeted, "Now come on, let's go before ol' Mrs. Gensingi catches us!" Then the two were off again, streaking along the grass, the ground pulsing below their feet. _

_       Sakiki was out-running her and as hard as she tried, she couldn't keep up. Her dark hair collapsed in recoiling turrets down her spine and she was laughing, watching his back as he rounded the top of a hill. _

_       "Come on, Rhyth, slow poke! Keep up!"_

_       His voice sounded far away and her skirt bounced higher over her slender thighs. Rhyth climbed the peak and ran a bit down before seeing a mound of ravens in the distance and no Sakiki in sight. They were writhing all over each other, pecking and clawing, their oily black feathers shimmering blue and silver in the sunlight. Curiously, the girl moved farther towards them and they shrieked their calls into the landscape. Some of the lesser brave birds flew off, spreading air over their wings to land feet off and eye her suspiciously. _

_       Rhyth now was only some feet away and suddenly gasped. On the ground lay a still Sakiki, his body white and red, smeared with blood. The ravens clawed over him, they'd pecked his eyeballs out until they were gouged raw holes. The dark haired girl stepped back, her eyes wild and clutching at her mouth to prevent herself from vomiting. Sakiki's chest was ruptured open, his shirt torn away, and they'd dug deep into him. His whole upper body was just a cavern and his heart was exposed. It glistened pink in the sun and beat once, twice. _

_       Suddenly his mouth began to move and blood spilled over his lips. He spoke, gurgling, "Sweet. You're always so damn sweet."_

--

         Rhyth sat up, panting, her eyes searching over her surroundings. It was just her bedroom, the usual set up of a vanity and dresser, all neatly organized. //_It was just a dream. A dream, a **freaky** dream, but still just a dream. That's all.// _Sunlight seeped in through her glass veranda doors and Rhyth stood, stretching absentmindedly, trying to shake away the frightening images that lingered in her brain. She was dressed in a different nightgown, since she had one for each day of the week, and this one consist of white shorts that skimmed the tops of her thighs and had 'Cute Butt' scrawled in pink lettering along the backside, and a white tank top. //_Everything's been getting to me; all the stress is affecting my head.//_

Tucking a strand of indigo hair behind her ear, she padded across her fuchsia carpet to the adjoining bathroom she and Beat so 'joyfully' shared together. Lipsticks, compacts, and hairsprays littered the counter space. //_Ok so maybe Beat had been right for once in his life when he said I monopolize the space.// _Thinking of Beat made her go over the events of yesterday. She knew what she had done was wrong and she regretted it now. He had only been trying to help and had been the only one there for her when she needed him yet she treated him like he was the one behind this whole thing. //_Beat finally acts like he might actually care for you as a friend and you have to go and treat him like shit. Good call, Rhyth.// _

Why had she done that? Because she was scared, because her mind was running out of options at the moment, because... _You like him and you know he'll never feel the same._ Rhyth crinkled her nose and shook the thoughts from her brain. //_Me? Like Beat? Ya uh hu, maybe in an Alternate Reality but not on this planet. We are two exact polar opposites... And no crap about 'magnets attracting' or anything, alright brain!// _

She switched on the sink and the copper faucet purred to life. Rhyth brushed her teeth and glanced herself over in the mirror. Then when she finished, she bent over and splashed a handful of water over her face to chase away any remainders of sleep. Standing up again, she blinked through the water and saw in the reflection if her bathroom mirror a vague figure shift behind her, a shadow sliding across her room.

Rhyth snapped around and roughly swiped away droplets clinging to her eyelashes. "Hello?" she called and grabbed the nearest object, her unplugged curling iron, to brandish as a weapon. //_Another good one. Isn't that what every slasher film victim says before she's ripped to shreds?// _Cautiously she scanned her room and then looked under her bed and found nothing. //_I'm probably just being paranoid.// _She sighed and threw the iron on her mattress before strolling over to her double doors, pulling down the hem of her short shorts. She swung them open and took a step out into the brisk morning. Already a stifling warm had begun to settle over Tokyo-To, promising a hot summer's day, and unadulterated blue spread itself far into the distance until it brushed the tall cement buildings. Rhyth's eyes caught on a stone lying on her veranda and she walked over to it, a folded paper was held down under it. Her thoughts began to race as she realized and equally feared what it was. Lifting up the letter, she opened it. 

'He broke your heart, little Rhyth-chan. He broke your heart and now I'll break **his**.'

--

The GGs were all scattered around their kitchen/dinning area, lounging around in their sleepwear. Yo-Yo was slurping up his cereal and looking over the box. "I'm tellin' ya, Captain Crunch and Captain Morgan should capitalize on the whole 'pirate' thing! **Captain Morgan's Captain Crunch Cereal** would be so huge!" he exclaimed excitedly at his 'brilliant' scheme. 

Clutch sat nearby; drinking coffee and grimacing at the disgusting brown mushy mess Yo-Yo had reduced his cereal to in his bowl. "Good idea, just get little kids sugar loaded **and** piss drunk. Kill two bird with one stone," he retorted with a smirk. 

The neon green haired young boy shrugged and replied, "I know you're being sarcastic but I choose to ignore that. Come on, maybe that's what kids need! Finally they'll be cool instead of little whining assholes." As he finished speaking he picked a piece of cereal off the floor, looked it over, and then ate it, apparently having never heard of the 'Five Second Rule'. 

Gum watched blankly from her perch on a stool, a plate of toast before her. "Bravo. Just when I think 'Awww maybe we rag on Yo too much' you go and say something that makes me realize we don't rag on you enough," she stated dryly. Corn, sitting at her side, laughed from around the toast he was biting into.

Cube glared at him and threatened, "Don't even start. If you guys go into 'cute couple mode' again this early in the morning, I might have to kill myself... or you." Instantly his smile wilted from his lips and he looked towards the countertop. 

Garam, who was sitting by Yo-Yo at the table, piped up, "And dude, have you brushed your teeth today?"

Yo-Yo raised an eyebrow in curiosity and responded, "Yes. Why do you ask?"

The bald young man cringed as his breath met his nostrils and then pinched his nose with his fingers. "Because either you didn't or you ate ass for breakfast," he teased good-naturedly.

Yo-Yo's eyes went wide and his cheeks burned with embarrassment. "How rude!" he yelped, as the rest of the gang caroused with giggles, and then went on sadly, "And yet no one takes offense because it's me."

Everyone nodded and Cube voiced everyone's opinion, "True."

Suddenly the steps went into a cacophony of creaking and Rhyth barreled down in her nightwear, her deep blue eyes inflamed. Between breathes, she panted, "Guys... DJ-K... Now!"

Taking a sip of his coffee, Clutch made a comeback over the lip of his mug, "Rhyth, breathing. Breathing, Rhyth. Maybe you two should meet."

Rhyth hadn't the patience to be angry and shouted, her words sinking in the air with urgency, "I'm not kidding! Turn the damn radio on!"

Cube was the first to notice the scent of alarm in Rhyth's voice and she recognized the flickers of fear in her eyes. Leaning over towards the small portable radio cradled under the cupboards, she flicked on the switch. 

 A booming voice popped from the fizzing speakers, traveling over the airwaves. "**Morning, kiddies, this is your street answer to the cardigan wearing biznatch Mr. Rogers, DJ-K! The asphalts flat line right now and for a very good reason. Last night a man was killed in Shibuya Terminal while waiting for the bus to take him home from work. His name was Bujin Oshima and he was a father and husband. The police aren't saying much, not like those bone heads have a clue anyway, but now they will confirm this is the second in what they believe to be a series of similar murders. Seems the police just realized reports that some unidentified homeless dude was killed two nights ago may be connected to the most recent homicide...**"

Rhyth's body felt numb and vague, like this wasn't really happening. Somehow this was all just another bad dream and the real Rhyth was snuggled upstairs amid her kitty blankets. Her heart fluttered lightly against her ribcage and she spat under her breath, "Sakiki..."

The famous Ruddie DJ went on relaying his gruesome news, "**This sick maniac has some sort of gore fetish, he carved the hearts out of both bodies while they were still alive, screaming for help. The weapon of choice in both cases were a knife, dull and unperfected. Until this crazy mofo is found, many people are choosing to stay in at night, and I think they got the right idea! This is the scaredy cat who just crapped his pants, DJ-K, giving you the down low on what's going down! Watch your backs out there, Ruddies! Now I'm flipping it over to 'The Latch Brothers'.**"

Cube reached over again and turned off the radio, a thudding beat fading into nothing, a dead weight of nothing that surrounded them for a long pause. The realization that this was deeper then they had ever thought was no sinking unsettling into their heads. Gum clutched onto her boyfriend's hand for some sort of comfort, although nothing could take away the dread lodged in her throat, and she gasped, tinged with a helpless anger, "God, that's sick..."

Beat up until now had stayed quiet, smoking a cigarette in the corner as the red paper ate down to the filter in his fingers. He was already dressed, having thrown on a pair of jeans and a button down blue stripped shirt, rumpled and untucked from his pants. Shadows intermingling with thin smears of light passed over him as he looked up at Rhyth, questioning with knowing, "You got a letter didn't you?"

The petite girl nodded and then opened her hand, revealing the crumpled paper she'd hidden in her palm. Spreading it open, she read it to them, "'He broke your heart, little Rhyth-chan. He broke your heart and now I'll break **his**.' It was on my veranda."

Beat stubbed the remaining bit of his cig in the ashtray by him, digging it hard into the glass. "Now the bastard knows where our headquarters are? Where you live?" he responded angrily, his mahogany eyes flaring.

Rhyth nodded deftly and spoke almost in a tepid, smooth voice, "Yes, well it was kinda naive to think he wouldn't be able to find out. I mean, he knows everything else about me as it is." She was acting much calmer then they would have thought, indeed calmer then they were. Maybe she had time to deal with this beforehand because she'd found the letter first, had time to let it sink in... More probably, because her mind felt like it was floating. She felt whitewashed and faded, like this couldn't be possible and so wasn't.

 Yo-Yo had abandoned his bowl of mush and he was staring at the older GGs with fear. The green haired boy questioned nervously, "Should we... Should we take it into the police? They would probably offer protection..."

The woman shook her head, strands of indigo brushing her shoulder blades. "No. He won't come when there are police here but what later? When the police stop protecting me? It's a short-term answer but it won't work in the long run. I can't have a bodyguard with me for the rest of my life. I shouldn't **have** to. We have to catch this asshole on our own," she replied with determination and a wisdom they'd never believed she could possess.

Corn now added, agreeing with her, "Ok then, I think we should hang low. We can't risk Rhyth, or anyone else for that matter, going out there when this sicko could be lurking around. That means no skating, no tagging..."

The Goth woman sitting nearby interrupted with a rebellious snarl, "Fuck, that's ridiculous! I'm not changing my life and living like a caged rat just because some lovesick wacko with a knife is trying to scare us."  

Gum, who was sitting in the middle of the two, replied evenly and as democratic as possible, "I'm afraid you don't have a choice, Cube. As a group we have to decide a game plan and for right now I think Corn's right." 

Cube matched her onyx gaze with Gum's and scowled, raising an eyebrow, "What a fucking surprise there..."

Gum was never one to sit back and allow someone to bash her, it just so happened Cube had hit a sore button too. It was somewhat a fear if there was a couple in the group, they would override everyone else's decisions, yet for the most part Corn and Gum listened to what everyone had to say, or at least tried their best. The blonde's eyes sparked like kindling wood and she burst with anger, "Excuse me? Come on, Cube, stop with the **bitchy** attitude and start worrying about people other then yourself! There is a murderer out there who has made it clear he wants to get to Rhyth and as a team we owe it to her to stay at headquarters for now."

This only furthered Cube's anger and she growled, "You know what, dress it up all you like, but its still you just kissing your boyfriend's ass! I'm so sick of never getting to decide because the **Gum/Corn Alliance** has already decided everything for us!" Then the woman stood, her stool clattering to the tiles with a resounding bang, and she stormed off to her room.

The rest of the GGs looked on with overextended shock. With a killer stalking their every move, the last thing they needed now was for the group to implode with arguments. Clutch muttered under his breath, "What's with her?"

The boy by his side was eager to provide the 'answer' and Yo-Yo babbled, "Its called PMS, dude. You know, that thing girls get once a month that causes them to flip out and like go around screaming and yell at you because you just happened to maybe peak into their room. But hey, they left the door open and how was I to know they were getting changed!"

The red head smacked Yo-Yo playfully on the back of his head and rolled his eyes. "That's not PMS, dude, that's you being a little perv," he snorted.

 "No one is to go or leave understood? This isn't up for debate, things are getting messy in Tokyo-To and we need to stay out of the way for now and worry about our own," Corn stated and his voice sounded tired. He was weary of making decisions and having people hate him for it, he was sick of the resentment. "Rhyth, try to think of other people this killer might target ok?" the young man with the sandy blonde hair told her.

Rhyth nodded and twisted the letter around in her hands, making the ink blur into long distorted streaks. "Alright, I'll try..." she said even when she knew she couldn't. Sakiki and Bujin were the last two guys she'd dated in her life, before she became a GG and all options for normal romance had become null and void. 

Corn continued, "And I want people on guard twenty-four seven. Combo, you get the entrance, Garam you get the back door, and Beat, since your room is so close to Rhyth's as it is, you watch her door. I'm going upstairs, I can't handle all this bitching and fighting all the time." His face was grave as he stood and walked up the stairs, Gum following.

The kitchen returned to its state of thick silence and now the sun seemed oddly cold, clawing against their skin without any comfort. Garam went off to sit by his post and read the latest comic, Combo hulked off to stand guard by the door and focus in on the quiet like an ancient warrior. Clutch finished his coffee in a few gulps and then went off to his room to listen to some music. Yo-Yo dumped his bowl in the sink and then disappeared into the living room, the glow of the TV spreading out from the door. 

Rhyth looked towards Beat awkwardly, fumbling with the paper some more. "You don't... have to watch my door if you don't want to. I mean, Combo and Garam are watching the doors, I should be fine," she stammered, glancing down at her bare toes. //What's the matter with me? Its like I don't want him to do anything nice for me, give me a reason to like him. Maybe because I'm afraid... to **like **him. God, I need to shut up with all the inner monologue already and stop over thinking shit! Really, just... shut up!// 

Beat shrugged and jammed his hands into his pockets. "No, 'sok. I don't have anything to do anyway except watch my hair grow," he said. 

"O" was all Rhyth could manage before turning and padding up the stairs. Beat followed as she walked along the hallway, naked feet tapping against wood, and then stopped before her door. Turning so her back was against the wall, she said sincerely, "Well you know, thanks." Her pale skin looked darker in the shadows of the corridor and her eyes were a mix of bruises, black and blue. 

The young man shrugged for the second time today (//Setting a record for yourself huh? Impressive.//) and ran a wayward hand through his disheveled auburn hair. "Yea, sure. No problem," he responded, with a hint of awkwardness. He wasn't use to this level of politeness with Rhyth; they were usually at each other's throats half the time. //It feels sorta... nice. I'm getting too soft in my old age.//

Rhyth smiled and sent his pulse into a stumbling quickness again. Then she went on to add, "And uh, could you not smoke by my room? It's disgusting. Thanks." Then she spun around and slammed her door behind her and smashed whatever little haze of pleasantries they had. 

Beat sighed. //Who am I kidding? We'll be back to cussing each other out tomorrow.// Leaning against the wall he began a game of rolling his cigarette around his fingers and thinking to himself.

--

  
   
       Beat yawned, his dark eyes scanning lazily into the dim hallway. He was bored out of his mind, nothing had happened all day which, while it was a good thing, could also prove to be as fun as watching paint dry... or Yo-Yo speak. Either one was painful. Stretching out his long lanky limbs, he strolled over to the door and gave it as rap with his knuckles. "Hey, Rhyth, I'm going outside to smoke ok?" he shouted. 

 There was a reply of heavy silence and Beat sighed. "You're not mad are you? Come on, I've been waiting out here all fucking day! I thought you'd be happy that I'm not exposing your delicate nostrils to my 'disgusting' smoke..." he began to say and pushed the door open. 

He stopped speaking abruptly as he glanced around Rhyth's barren bedroom. Some fluffy cat pillows, a vanity littered in every sort of facial product, and some posters of another girly boy-band, but no Rhyth. Looking around wildly with his eyes, Beat called urgently, "Rhyth? Rhyth?" His heart thumped deep in his chest and he could hear all his desperate thoughts rupturing their doubts in his ears. //Why didn't I pay closer attention? God, if she's...// All his fears spiraled in his mind and he felt like he couldn't breath anymore, suddenly more frightened of loosing her then he'd ever been of anything before. In his shock, he became aware that the veranda's double doors were spread open. A dusk sky of deep reds and burnt oranges pressed far beyond the horizon of concrete, spilling out past his vision, and Beat rushed over to the veranda. He scanned around hurriedly before noticing a knot fastened to the wrought iron rail. Leaning over it, he saw a line of blankets and linens tied together and a suspicious looking Rhyth hanging midways down.   

"Rhyth?" he questioned in disbelief. 

 She looked up with credulous cobalt eyes and replied innocently, "Uh... Hi?"

Beat stared down at her and gave her an edged glare. "Are you insane? You could get hurt! What are you doing?" he yelled down, now trying to mask his original fear. //At least she's not been kidnapped or worse. Still this will go down as her stupidest idea yet.// 

"I'm uh... drying out my sheets?" the young woman replied with a weak smile but it was apparent Beat was not amused. 

Beat sighed and grumbled irately, "Look, just get up here."

The beauty shook her head and started climbing down father. "No, Beat. I have to go," she said mysteriously, scrambling along the length of her makeshift rope. 

Beat stated, "No, you have to stay." Then he started to pull up the blankets and soon Rhyth gave up trying to climb down as she was hoisted farther up towards her deck. 

As he pulled the petite woman up, she cried out in earnest, "No, stop! Beat, you don't understand..."

The young man pulled the last of the rope up and then clung onto both of Rhyth shoulders, yanking her up forcefully onto the veranda. "No, you don't understand!" he shouted. She had her back pressed to the rail and now could see his dark eyes clouded over in anger and concern. "You heard what the other's said, no one can leave, Rhyth! There is some maniac out there and you honestly expect me to just let you go off to become fair game for this crazy asshole? There is... no way..." he continued and his voice grew weak, shaking. Lately the thought of losing her hadn't been far from his mind, pawing in the back of his brain, and her little stunt just made it all too real for him. For the first time Rhyth saw a slip of his worry over her safety, his hand never leaving her upper arm.  

The iron of the fence jabbed into the bones of her vertebrae; she was dressed only in a thin splashy multicolor tank top that hugged her small body along with some faded jeans. His fingers lingered on her bare skin, sending electric shivers along her body. "I'm... I'm sorry, Beat," she said in surprise. //_I never thought it would upset the big bad 'Punk Boy' this much. I never realized... he cared this much.// _Her blue eyes were tinged with the reflection of a bleeding sky and she went on sincerely, "That wasn't my intention, but I still have to go, Beat. Bujin, he's dead. I have to go see him... his family... where it happened. I need to." They were so close to each other, the inches between them only filled with their body heat, and neither one wanted to pull away just yet.

 He regarded her with doubts, thinking it over for a moment. "... Fine, but I'm going with you just encase," he said finally.

Rhyth smiled slightly and said gratefully, "Ok, thanks, Beat."

Beat however was not sold and glowered. Making an exasperated sound he responded dully, "Yea, yea sure. You're not making it easy for me to protect you, you know." 

The young woman nodded her head and said with a raise of her shoulders, "I know, I'm sorry. But hey, I like to be a moving target."

Beat gave her a wounded look, telling her she was pushing her luck, and said unevenly, "That's not funny."

Rhyth twisted the end of a strand of her fine blue hair in between two fingers and sighed. "I know, sorry. Note to self - do not joke about my own demise," she responded. 

He moved away then, removing his touch from her flesh, and she immediately wished he hadn't. Looking towards a pipe secured to the side of the Garage, Beat said over his shoulder, "Come on, let's go down the drainpipe. It's easier." Then he pitched himself over the black rail and clung into the fixture, grappling down its length.

Rhyth followed, scaling down the drainpipe. As she dug her fingers into the bolts holding it to the building, she called down after him, with the hint of laughter, "And how would you know it's easier huh? Snuck out recently?"

He chuckled distantly below her and snorted in mock indignant, "What are you implying? That I would sneak out at one in the morning to see some girl and didn't want to wake anyone in the house so I used the drainpipe? Never!"

The woman shook her head, splaying strands of indigo, and replied, "Right, Romeo. You put the 'sleaze' in 'sleazebag'."__

Beat came to the end of the drainpipe and dismounted before helping Rhyth jump the little distance left. Holding her hand he stroked it comically and retorted, "You weren't saying that last night. You were saying however, "Don't stop, Beat. Give it to me harder.""

Rhyth crinkled her nose and ripped her hand from his grasp. "Ugh, vile! You flirt," she gagged and slapped him playfully on the shoulder. 

The pair began to walk out the back, towards the terminal together. The sun was melting like a crayon, releasing its colors across the sky. Deep chasms of scarlet etched along the mortar buildings, golden shadows splashing across their faces. The young man went on, grinning, "I know. But that's why I'm endearing."

She smiled also and mock cooed, "You think so huh? And all along I thought you were annoying."

They continued walking into the sunset, there was a dismissive silence weighing on the city, unsettling and eerie. "For a valley girl you certainly have a lot of witty comebacks," Beat said, using the name he'd called her a few days ago.

Rhyth laughed slightly and it echoed off the alleyway walls. "Well thanks, I try. Same goes for you, village idiot," she responded. 

Soon they'd emerged in the bus terminal and up ahead they could see the crowd of black specks all huddled around something. The auburn haired boy questioned protectively, "Hey, its up ahead. You ok with this?"

Rhyth stared at the figures in the distance and nodded. "Ya, I'm fine. Come on, let's go," she said and started heading that way. 

Beat trailed after her; past the benches and across streets, until they came to the place were people all mulled around in a cluster. Some were just passing by and decided to take a look, others were permanent by-standers who had nothing better to do then stand around at the gory site. Rhyth and Beat did their best to push and weave their way into the crowd and they could see police up ahead, photographing and combing over the marked-off area for evidence. The officers were telling people to disperse but they didn't listen, they stayed gawking. The corpse of the man had long before been removed but spots of blood were smeared along the cement ground and all along the wooden bench. The blood was dark crimson and dried, but you could see the red fingerprints from were hands had clawed urgently, trying to escape death. 

Rhyth grimaced and whispered to Beat, her stomach churning on itself, "God. Look, that's where it happened. There's blood everywhere..." 

The young man nodded and furrowed his eyebrows together in revulsion. "I know, this freak killed him in open sight. Like he enjoyed the thrill of almost getting caught. What a fucking prick," he spat with hatred. Then he averted his gaze to Rhyth and noticed how pale she'd become, the look of horror on her face. He inquired with concern, "You sure you're ok?"  
  


Even as she felt a nauseas sickness swelling up in her, she bit down all her fears. "Ya, ya. I'm sure, don't worry so much about me," she responded and squeezed his hand before further careening through the crowd and disappearing from sight. 

Rhyth moved until she came to the forefront of the group of gathering people. From this angle she could see a little boy sitting some feet away, clutching onto an old woman's worn gray sweater. She held him in her arms and smoothed out his head of flaxen hair as he wept into her chest. 

Turning to an elderly man beside her who looked to have been there for some time, probably even someone who lived in the area, she inquired curiously, "Whose the little boy?"

The man lavished with wrinkles sighed in the bass of his deep chest and fingered the whittled top of cane. "That's the man's son. Poor boy, he hasn't left here since this morning. Even when his mom went off to the morgue and left him with his grandmother. He hasn't stopped crying," he related sadly. 

Rhyth felt her inside's twist up into a knot and she gasped softly. That was Bujin's son, the heart ached little boy, who now was fatherless. 

_//Because of you.// _  

Rhyth swallowed air and felt herself spinning in circles, spiraling out of control. There was a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach as she snapped around and ripped through the crowd, shoving past people. For a moment she couldn't see anything and the world's edges grew fuzzy as the guilt eclipsed her brain. She thought she might faint as she sprinted towards refugee, the nearest alleyway. She heard footsteps against the asphalt after her and she slammed her shoulder into a hard wall, titled her body around until her back was pressed against cold brick. Tears blistered her ocean turquoise eyes as she gasped for wet breaths. 

"Rhyth, are you ok?" she heard Beat's caring voice in her eardrums and then it reflected down the alleyway, echoing against buildings. 

She couldn't look up under the hail of tears and instead dropped her face into her hands. Her palms grew damp and she replied in broken fragments, "No, I feel horrible. I **am** horrible. Its all my fault."

If she had been looking she would have seen the harsh stare he gave her, the pain that crackled along his eyes at seeing **her** pain. "Don't say that! It's not true!" he spluttered in anger.

Rhyth spat back, just as angry at herself as he was, "It isn't? If it weren't for me Bujin would still be alive, that kid would still have a father. It is true! Because of me he died!" 

Beat shook his head and shouted, his voice grating through clenched jaws, "Stop it! He died because of some soulless psycho, not because of you! It's not your fault!"

The young woman pushed back against the wall harder, her spine pressing against brick, hoping it would swallow her. "The how come I feel like it is..." she whispered between sobs.

Beat walked over to her and gently took her hands from her face before enveloping her in an embrace. His arms wrapped around her and she rested her head against his chest, spilling tears against his shirt. "I know you do and that's because you're too nice, too sweet. You can't blame yourself for this, that won't help anyone," he admitted sincerely.

A moment passed and she cried against him as he rested his chin on the top of her head, feeling helpless and frustrated. Finally she sniffled a little and pulled away slightly, looking him in the face. Her dark blue eyes were edged with raw red and her pale cheeks were slick with damp tears. She questioned, "You're always there for me, Beat. Right there. Even when I've been a bitch to you, even when I've told you to fuck off God knows how many times, you're still there. Why do you still care?"

Beat stared into her eyes and their faces were so close now, her full lips moist from crying and so close. Strands of blue fell into her eyes and he stroked her cheek with a thumb, glossing away tears with his fingertips. A red sky etched its way over them, glaring shades of passion over the city. "Because I care about you..." he responded softly and he could feel her hot breath on his skin. Pulling away from her, loosening his grip around her, he finished weakly, "You're a part of the team." //_Lame, guy, so lame.//_

Rhyth nodded and smiled faintly. Looking off into the distance where the crowd was still enthralled, yet looking even farther, into her memories, she said, "Bujin was my freshman boyfriend. He was the cool guy who played in a band, every girl loved him. **I** loved him so much. Then I went away over the summer and when I came back, he was going out with my best friend. Didn't even tell me we were broken up, just showed up at a friend's party with her on his arm. I had hated him... hated him so much. But he didn't deserve this; he really was a good guy. No one deserves this to happen to them."

The young man watched her as she spoke and dipped into nostalgia. Then he held her hand in his, squeezing it to reassure her, and said, "I know, and we're going to find the dick who did this and make sure no one has this happen to them ever again. I promise, Rhyth."

The sun flickered against her, turning a falling tear into a shard of rose-colored glass, and she looked towards Beat. Feigning a watery smile, she said sincerely, "Thanks, Beat, for everything."

He gave her a lopsided grin and replied, "Sure thing, kid. Next time you run off though, warn me ok."

The petite woman laughed softly and bit her petal lip. "Ok deal," she responded.

Still griping her hand, he said, "Now come on, let's go home." Then Beat and Rhyth turned and walked along down the alleyway as streaks of burning red flickered against cement buildings, casting them in blades of color.

--

**End Notes: **Ok end of Chapter Three! Still mostly boring stuff here, I'm telling you, it gets **really** creepy later on. This is just basically setting up the plot and all that good stuff. You may have noticed I sorta put Corn in the position of leader. I know it's said Beat is the official leader and many people write it this way, but I just always thought of Corn that way. He's mild-mannered and cool-headed, total leader qualities! But hey you don't have to agree; this is just my opinion and my fic. Hey who do you think the killer is? 0_-

Don't forget to delete spaces and add www to the below! O ya and those shorts Rhyth are wearing with the writing on the back ('Cute Butt') really do exist! I wanna pair! Haha. 

**Rhyth (Tasha Tilberg)** - 

babemoon. com/ det/13356. shtml

babemoon. com/ det/13360. shtml

Beat (Orlando Bloom) - 

allmoviestar. com/ h//orlando_bloom_0023.jpg. html

allmoviestar. com/ h//orlando_bloom_0029.jpg. html

Cute Young Rhyth And Sakiki - 

creative. gettyimages. com/source/search/ resultsmain.asp?txtSearch= school+girl&source=quickSearch&brand= tsi&UQR=fdrivj


	4. Chapter Three: I Want To Be Someone Else

**Author's Note: **

So hello, folks! This is my first ever fan fiction for the **Jet Set** section, although I have wandered around reading and reviewing. [My previous s/n was Jasmine] I hope you guys like and if anyone has any interest in **Zelda** or **Digimon** fics, please check out some of my others. 

Also this is a gore horror story with a little smidgen of comedy and romance in the mix. Despite what the title might suggest, this is not a **FLUFFY BALL OF MUSH**! The title will make sense later on, trust me on this please. There will be a few couplings though [Rhyth/Beat, Corn/Gum], sorry these are my preferences, and if you don't share in my fondness you might want to not read this. Also all titles of my chapters I have decided will come from the titles or lyrics from many of the wonderful songs off the '**Romeo + Juliet**' soundtrack just because I was listening to it at the time and love it o so very much.

**Side Note:** Sorry I took so long to update! My computer went haywire and then, seriously I just was drained of inspiration. But I think I found my muse again and here it is, the next chapter. O yea, and I just saw **Gothika**, and that movie seriously rocks. 

**Love Letters**

By Heather [A Whisper]

**Chapter Three: I Want To Be Someone Else******

"I want to,   
I want to be someone else or I'll explode   
Floating upon my surface for the birds

For the birds"

-- "Talk Show Host" -- Radiohead

Night had already parted over Tokyo-To when Rhyth and Beat had made their way to the Garage. The moon ruptured the dark sky like a seam, edging the outlines of the buildings with blue and silver. They could see their GG headquarters up ahead and moved towards it like moths. When they got close enough they realized there were winking red and blue lights in the yard and all the windows in the house were aglow. Rhyth began sprinting towards home, her breath and worries pounding in her ears, as Beat followed close behind.

_God, **police? What happened? I should have never left, if something happened to one of them I'd never be able to forgive myself. It's because of me this asshole is after us. It's all because of me. **_

Springing up the few steps to the Garage, Rhyth swung the door open and a fracture of buttercream light split down the side of her face. She immediately noticed all the GGs sitting around, their demeanors stained with concern, and police were talking to them, asking them questions.  

"What... What's wrong?" she questioned breathily, her voice carrying through space like a pebble breaking water.  

Jazz was in mid-sentence with an officer when she looked over to see Rhyth and Beat in the doorway, a stretch of black lapsing into orange streetlamp light behind them. She looked both apprehensive and infuriated, exclaiming, "**You're** what's wrong! God, we were so worried about you guys!"  

Rhyth realized then how it must have looked to her friends, finding both her and Beat missing in the middle of the night with a knife-wielding killer on the loose. She suddenly felt really guilty, having made them even have to face the idea that something could have happened to their teammates. "We're fine, really. I just... I just needed to sort some stuff out and Beat came along to protect me. That's all," she responded and shifted uncomfortably, tucking an indigo strand behind an ear.

Cube was leaning against a wall, her arms crossed under her full chest. She gave them an edged stare and replied icily, "Well while you were out 'sorting stuff' these guys woke up the whole house in a state of panic after they found your room empty and called the police." The doer Ruddie seemed more annoyed then anything, like this was just further proof Corn and Gum ruled the group with little democracy.     
  


       Gum positioned her hands on her hips and huffed, "Really, Rhyth, what were you thinking? We decided no one was to leave! How do you think it looked to us when there's a crazy-ass killer on the loose and you and Beat suddenly come up missing?" Her gaze was harsh and accusing, she was never one to just shrug off someone's mistake easily; her approach was to berate them about it until it was beat into their skull never to do it again.

       _She's right, this was a stupid stunt. I shouldn't have put them in this position, if the tables had been turned and it was one of them gone M.I.A. I'd have been scared shitless. It wasn't fair to them. Rhyth nodded and averted her blue gaze to the ground, to the peach tiles turned gilded in the warm lights, and replied softly, "I'm sorry. I didn't think anyone would notice. But it was stupid and I'm sorry."_

       Corn was sitting down beside his girlfriend, his arms folded under each other. "It's ok. I'm just glad you guys are safe," he said and caused Gum to glare at him in disapprove for letting them off the hook so easily.  

       An officer in his blue uniform scowled and snorted gruffly, "Well that was so touching, a freak's moment. Let me call Hallmark. Come on, boys, we have better things to do then waste time here." Then he gestured for the other policemen to follow him as he started towards the door. 

       Yo-Yo, who was sitting down by the table as well, his green hair mused and ragged, retorted under his breath, "Yea, think of all the helpless donuts out there in need of being eaten..." 

       "Not so fast, gentlemen, there is work still to be done."

       Eyes darted to the source of the voice, a tall lanky man by the mouth of the stairwell. His hair was shorn close to his skull and metal white, a long trench coat brushing his feet. His face was sharp, high cheekbones, his mouth a cruel curling line. Instantly the police men grew quiet, even they were uneasy at what he might do.

       "Hayashi," Rhyth gasped, unable to conceal her shock at seeing the infamous police captain in their home. Of course the police knew where the Garage was and they tried to keep tabs on the Ruddies just so the moment they saw them skating around, vandalizing property, they could finally lock them up behind bars. It became sort of a game to them really; find out what hours were perfect for tagging and what blocks had less patrolling officers then others. Some police would rather beat Ruddies up and make excuses for it later; Hayashi however went by the rules, it was more satisfying that way, he liked how it felt to know he'd taken out another 'filthy' Ruddie on his own terms. Needless to say he wouldn't take any of the GGs into custody and make up some phony justification for it. It still unnerved her though to see him here, in her dining area, smiling like a preying cheetah. 

       The line slid into a smirk as he replied in his soft yet commanding voice, "I see my reputation precedes me. And you must be Rhyth. It's a pleasure to meet you. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to question you in private." 

       Beat stepped foreword a little, glaring over at the tall man. "What for? We're here, we're fine. Now you can drop the false pretense of actually caring about Ruddie lives and call it a day," he spat, not trusting the man's shifty manner for a moment. 

       His voice was syrupy, smug, when he replied coolly, "I have no false pretenses, everyone knows I value Ruddies as much as I value the dirt under my shoes. However there is still the matter of the serial murderer on the loose who is a threat to **decent people and Rhyth may be able to give us information in finding him."   
  
**

       Rhyth nodded and called out, "Fine, I'll tell you everything I know." Turning her head slightly, the petite girl whispered to Beat and any of the other Ruddies close enough to catch it, "Its ok, Beat. What can he do in our own house, right?" 

       Hayashi turned and disappeared up the steps and Rhyth followed as well, drifting off into the darkness above. Long shadows made willowy patterns along the corridors, darting around them, and Rhyth walked after the man, into her own bedroom. Moonlight filtered in through her double doors, dripping over corners and edges, puddling on the floor at their feet, silver jetties that undulated with shivering movements. Rhyth watched Hayashi, studied the way he moved, the cold mechanical evenness of his steps. 

       He went to the long windows and looked out at the night, his back to her and his hands clasped behind him. They stood in silence for a long moment, the quiet pulling on Rhyth's brain, swelling the nervousness inside her. Finally Hayashia inquired, still not looking at her, "So, Rhyth, what is your most beloved childhood memory?"

       Rhyth watched his back and knitted together eyebrows. "Excuse me?" she replied, having heard the question yet not really believing he'd said it.    

       Hayashi sighed softly and turned then, the moon razor sharp over his angular features. "You know, your favorite recollection of innocence," he went on, partly patronizing.

       The small woman didn't feel she had a need to tell him anything he wanted to hear, she was just going to feed him bullshit answers and be as difficult as possible, after all this was the Ruddies' greatest enemy and the sooner he left, the better. "I don't know," she replied shortly, although she couldn't help the curiosity from creeping into her tone. _Why is he asking me this? It's probably just some police tactic but still... Why do I get the sense he's trying to connect with me? Draw me out into his crafty little web? **Revolting**._

His arms were still tucked behind his back and his hair flickered and reverberated in the moonlight, so white it seemed his skull was exposed. He began to say, "Well then let me tell you mine. I had a bug collection I poured myself over since I was six. Little dried beetles and butterflies, all neatly pinned and organized by species and name. My hard work culminated for me when my father took me to Canada to find the rare Behr's Hairstreak butterfly, the pinnacle of my childhood. I've always had an odd fascination with insects, butterflies in particular, the way they can morph and transform, unlike any other creature in the world. It's magnificent, wouldn't you say?"  

       Rhyth was at a loss for understanding but wouldn't let him see this. Her features remained contemptuous and she shot back, "I'd say - what does that have to do with anything?" 

       Hayashi appeared a little frustrated at losing any hopes of intelligent conversation and his nostrils flared slightly. "Now, now, girl, do not reveal your ignorance. I'm only engaging you in small talk, gaining your trust. That's the first step to interrogating anyone, you should know that," he chided, although the frayed ends of his anger were beginning to reveal themselves, flaring red hot in his grey eyes. 

       A long slender shadow stretched from the bottoms of Rhyth's feet along the floor, creasing up into the wall. Her pallid eyes took on a tinge of darkness, light unable to pierce the deepest blues, and she responded sardonically, "Forgive me, it's my first time being interrogated, I don't really make a habit of it. I can assure you though, you **won't** gain my trust."  

       The man looked disappointed yet the regret barely ruptured along the ice-cold expression. "Fine then, enough with the small talk, let us start already. The first man killed was a homeless drug addict found in Hideko Park..." he related dryly, almost bored.

       Rhyth glowered at him and quipped, "He has a name you know." 

       Hayashi nodded, one sharp movement of his jaw, and yet his stoic demeanor remained. He said, "Right, Sa-something. He was related to you how?" 

       There was a slight pause as Rhyth took a long tow of air in; trying to swallow down all the pain she'd been swimming in lately. "Sakiki was my first boyfriend in grade school," she responded calmly, a little too calmly, like she was trying too hard.

       Hayashi noticed the wounded tinge in her tone and went on, trying to prod it raw until it might bleed. "Had you spoken to him up until this point?" he questioned and his eyes flickered with a perverse happiness. 

       "No, no, of course not," she replied hurriedly. Then he watched her blink into the darkness that moved over her, the oceans of teal that slid open and closed like eclipsing breakers. They were wave breakers - breakers of her - rushing in and then out, dragging back pebbles until there was nothing left, until everything felt like it might cave in. "I had no idea... he was living on the streets. I hadn't spoken to him since he dropped out of school and ran away from home. His father beat him when he was little, all sorts of awful things, he didn't deserve it. He was a good kid, a really good kid. That's why he went to drugs I think, that's why his life fell apart," she said, barely above a whisper. 

       __

The smugness in his face was soon replaced by a coldness, a desensitization to anything human. "Touching, you do realize there are hundreds of people out there with the same sort of story. He's no different, just another person who dwelled in the streets, all junkies have sob stories," he responded evenly. 

       Rhyth cringed at the mechanical way he shrugged off a life and breathed as if in pain, "That's heartless."  

       Hayashi's skin looked a blend of pale and black in the shifting light from the window, shadows dipping under the line mouth that quivered and stretched. "I know but when you see what I see every day you'd understand why a heart is an unneeded thing," he said.

       The woman met his gaze and said in a certain tone, "I never would."

       The police captain looked over at her and the soft curves of her face and wanted to know what it felt like to be so sure, so compassionate. "Yes, yes, you're right. You never would," he said after a moment of thick silence and then he went on, "So tell me, the second victim, he was another boyfriend I presume?"

       Rhyth nodded and replied, "Yes. Bujin was my boyfriend a long time ago."

       There was that smile again, a slick black oil smile that made your insides feel filthy when you saw it. "It still hurt to hear about his death though didn't it?" he said smoothly and dripping with smugness.

       The moon reflected off a sheen in her eyes and she blinked against it. "Of course it hurt," she responded softly. _Stop falling into his little traps! I'm smarter then this, he can't lead me around in this conversation; taking me to places he wants to go. He just wants me to hurt, to break down in front of him. Well this is one Ruddie that won't shatter that easily._ "What's going on here? What does this have to do with anything?" she abruptly spat in defense.

        His eyes looked menacing in the light, like mirrors, and she started feeling unnerved. "Hearts are an unneeded thing, you'd be better off when you realized that," he said and it sounded like a threat. Suddenly this didn't seem to be like a normal police procedure any longer, this felt personal. 

       Rhyth didn't recognize anything in him as human and began to feel cold, shivering. She suddenly felt the overwhelming need to get out, leave this air that seemed to be forming thick amber around her and catching her like a mosquito. "I want to go now..." she said and hugged onto herself.

       Hayashi pulled back a little, his demeanor not so sadistic anymore, and he replied, "Soon. All I need now is for you to tell me any other people this killer might target. Another boyfriend perhaps."

       She felt a bit relieved he didn't seem so frightening any longer yet still; her mind was focused on leaving. "There were no other boyfriends," she said flatly, so flat it was like a knife, edged and sharp.

       Hayashi lifted a paper up from his side, which until now Rhyth hadn't even noticed was tucked discretely in his pocket. Looking over it, he smirked slightly and said in almost a purr, "Hmmm, interesting. Why are you lying to me, Rhyth?"

       Rhyth's eyes swelled and she tried desperately to hide her shock and fear yet it peaked out in her voice. "I am... not lying," she responded shortly, hoping if she kept her words brief he wouldn't be able to detect the falseness to them. 

       "Then who is Kento, Rhyth?" he inquired.

       It was a simple enough question. A tangible question. Yet the answer seemed out of grasp, too far away to taste. Her mind was swimming in memories and terror when she balked, "He has nothing to do with this."

       The line curled up at the edges and Hayashi said mechanically, "Obviously he does... And you know he does, you're just afraid. The killer has only gone after past boyfriends, he's made this personal. It would have had to been someone you knew, someone who had a reason to make it personal. You filed for a restraining order against Kento and just renewed it two years ago. Obviously you think he still is a threat." 

       There were metal white bursts of pain in her eyes and she hugged onto herself tighter. "It... It doesn't matter. They told me he doesn't live in Tokyo-To any longer," she responded and it sounded so hollow and plastic even to her. But the police had said that he'd moved away, that he wasn't a threat...

       Hayashi moved closer, the way snakes do when they smell fear on the tips of their tongues. "Ah, you hope he isn't, don't you? But he is." He was just inches away now and watched her eyes explode wide, the flickers of sheer horror sliding their way around her face. "How come he scares you so much? What did he do to you huh? Hurt you? Stalk you? Violate you? What did he do to cause such a cloud of terror to lurch into your eyes at the mere mention of his name?" he questioned. 

       His eyes were stony and deep, really deep; so far down she felt like she could fall in, she didn't want to look into them anymore. Turning away, she screamed to shut him up, to stop him from teasing up all her fears with his fingertips, "That's none of your business!"

       His voice was filled with patronizing as he informed her, "Anger is a funny emotion. It only comes from fear, the weakest of states. Extremists hate homosexuals because they are afraid – afraid a part of them might be just like them. You are angry because you are afraid... Afraid that I am right."

       _He is right. I am **afraid, afraid to death. Kento was someone I was telling myself never existed, he was just a bad dream, and now I have to relive it all over again. I'm so afraid. Rhyth could feel herself trying to shrink back, she felt isolated now in the shadows, an island amidst an ocean... And there was this, this hole in her head, like a sinking ship. When had the black begun to fill up her brain like this? "Kento has nothing to do with this," she heard herself repeat and dark shapes moved in her eyes, made her feel dizzy. **_

       Hayashi moved so close, his eyes dragging over her skin, and she couldn't feel his body heat, only more cold. His mouth was near her ear when he whispered almost in a laugh, "You look beautiful when you're scared." Rhyth was so tightly choked by terror and cold she couldn't move, couldn't breathe.

       Suddenly they heard a loud commotion downstairs - chairs clattering, scrapping of feet against tiles, raised angry voices. Hayashi grumbled something under his breath and ran out of the room to Rhyth's relief. She followed him downstairs, to the kitchen, and saw over the stair's banister Yo-Yo and a husky police officer in a sort of stand off, glaring at each other. 

       The policeman, who out-weighed Yo-Yo by a lot, was breathing in deeply, his big chest falling and rising. "I'll teach you to talk shit, you green-headed freak! How 'bout I knock out every tooth in that wiseass mouth of yours?" he growled. 

       The green haired boy didn't seem to notice the apparent size disadvantage and scowled, "What, is 'freak' word of the day or something? Why not be more creative - birth defect, genetic failure, waste of sperm. Come on, this is all prime material here!" 

       Everyone was watching and could taste the tension in their mouths, knowing there had to be more. The officer reached down and fluidly pulled his handgun from its holster, pointing it at Yo-Yo's forehead, the barrel glittering metal in the moonlight. "Who the Hell do you think you are, huh? All your smart remarks got you nothin', kid. If I squeezed this off right here, no one would care. You got no reason to be here except to annoy the crap outta normal people," he spat in disgust. 

       Corn stayed still, as did everyone else, and his eyes moved over the gun. "Put the gun down," he said in an even tone. 

       Yo-Yo was never one people thought of as brave, particularly the opposite really, but now, staring down the column of the gun, he didn't back down. He'd had enough – enough of asshole police, enough of being targeted because he was a Ruddie, enough of people talking down to him because he was a kid. An eyebrow raised, he grimaced and retorted sarcastically, "What a fucking surprise. An officer pulling out a gun on an innocent unarmed person, bet that's never happened before." 

       Boogie's eyes widened and she shouted, "Yo-Yo, shut up already! Don't say anything back, don't give him an excuse." 

       The silence was deafening and then a voice rang out, "Masao, lower your gun. I want you all outside, right now; we're done with this case. This was all just a waste of our time." The officers looked up to Hayashi and then surprisingly didn't hesitate to file out of the Garage. The man who was at a face off with Yo-Yo lowered his gun reluctantly and started to leave, glaring at the boy as he did so. 

       Hayashi stepped down the remaining stairs and came across the kitchen. Beat watched him from the corner with narrow smoldering eyes and remarked bitterly, "Thanks. Glad to see the force is still upholding its record of not really helping anyone and still walking around like arrogant pricks." 

       The tall man paused and turned to him, his expression cold and lifeless. "Just feel lucky I can't actually arrest you all legally by law. If you want to give me a reason however, I'd be more then happy to oblige," he said smoothly. Beat merely glowered back as he turned and swished out the door. 

       When the door closed behind him, the GGs let out a collective sigh although there was still an air of unease around them. "Well that was a swell idea, Corn. The police really cleared some things up for me... Like why we didn't call them in the first place," Cube belittled from against the wall, her arms crossed. 

       Corn regarded her from the corner of his eye and relinquished wearily, "Ok so it was a shitty judgment call alright. What was I to do when I saw two of our teammates were missing? I don't remember anyone actually objecting at the time either." 

       Bands of shadow and light alternated over her pale skin and the GGs quickly realized there was another standoff in progress. "If we had, would you have listened?" she asked in a low voice. 

       Gum rolled her eyes and threw her hands up. "O would you just give it a rest already with your silly conspiracy theories! Corn said he was wrong, just let it go!" she chided with a tinge of annoyance.

       In the middle of this no one had paid much attention to the small woman by the end of the stairs, clutching on to the rail with white straining fingers. "Guys, I think I know who the killer is." 

        Eyes all darted to her with surprise and Combo questioned softly, "Who's it, girl?"

       Rhyth swallowed down air and the shadows surrounded her, she wanted them to encompass her, make her disappear in their darkness. "I never told anyone this; I never wanted to have to think about it again..." she began and clung onto the banister tighter. "But now I have to. I lied to you all; there was someone else... Kento was the popular jock, the party guy. He was a quarterback on the football team and I was happy he even knew I was **alive**, never mind wanted to date me. Of course now when I look back I understand why he dated me. At first it started out harmless enough, he wanted to know where I was, he'd think my skirt was too short. I was so stupid; I just thought _'Wow, he must really like me.' Then before I knew it, it was becoming out of control. He'd follow me when I went out and tell me what to wear. A few times he'd say mean things to me, but always I'd think I'd deserve it. He did awful things to my head, made me believe I wasn't a good person," she went on in a whisper. The blue of her eyes seemed different now, bruised and fragmented. She breathed in and continued, "One night I was at a party when he thought something was going on with a guy friend and me so he beat the crap out of him. He drove home with me in the car, speeding all the way, and that's when he started hitting me. When we got to his house he dragged me out by my hair, called me... horrible things, spit on me. Then he raped me." By the time she was finished her fingernails were clawing into the wood of the rail, splintering the varnish. _

       Silence fell as her friends digested what she'd said and Boogie breathed sympathetically, "Holy shit, Rhyth. I can't believe it, what a fucker. You should have told us, I mean you could talk to me about it. Are... Are you ok?"

       Rhyth forced out a slight smile and said in reassurance, "I'm fine, really. It was so long ago." She didn't seem fine though and she was shivering, she looked really pale in the outcropping shadows, like a lighthouse beacon. She said, "The next day I had to go to the hospital and then filed a restraining order against him. I never wanted to see him again. He couldn't leave me alone though, he said he wouldn't. He'd call my house and stuff and leave weird notes on my car. Then one day he showed up outside of my house with a shotgun, said he was gonna kill me or him, it didn't matter which. He was unstable and I was the person that set him off; he didn't know how to love someone without hurting them. My parents called the police and he was sent to a ward for a few years. I never heard from him after that, I always hoped he'd gone off somewhere and lived a normal life. A part of me knows that's complete bullshit."

       Then looking up to face them, she said apologetically, "I hope you guys aren't mad at me, because I didn't tell you this sooner. I didn't even know where he lived anymore, the police lied to me and said he wasn't in Tokyo-To anymore, big surprise that. And... I just wasn't ready to face it again; it was a reflex to block him out of my brain. I never wanted to have to think about him again. I'm sorry." 

       Gum shook her head, strands of short blonde hair carousing across her eyes, and stated, "Mad? Rhyth, come on, you don't have to explain your reasons to us. We understand; we're your family after all. But... Why'd you feel like you could tell us now?"

       Rhyth smirked slightly and replied, "Hayashi brought him up and told me he's in the area still. Our old racist pal also forgot one key thing. **This." Then she pulled something from her jean pocket and held it up, it was the paper with Kento's address on it.**

       Garam snickered with admiration, "You sneaky little con-artist! How'd you pull one over on Hay?"

       The blue haired girl laughed softly and placed the paper back in her pocket. "'Pull one over'? Oh no no, this paper fell out of his pocket and into my hand, I swear. We have to go soon though, before Hay and his baboons question him. Kento will just deny everything and be waiting for us to come to him after that. Kento is either the next victim or the real killer, either way we'll find out soon enough," she responded grimly. 

       Cube pivoted off the wall and for the first time looked enthusiastic. Making a fist, she proclaimed, "So come on then, let's go surprise this motherfucker. Finally he won't be the one hunting, it'll be our turn. I say we pack the hardest stuff we own and go in shooting."

       The sandy haired man stopped her, replying logically, "Hold on, cowgirl, I don't think the blazing saddle approach is best in this situation. Us stopping by for a 'visit' is shady enough, never mind the whole gang all carrying heavy artillery. Matter of fact I don't think we even own that many guns to begin with. I say three people go, carrying just one handgun between them."

       Combo looked darker in the shadows, muscle bunching as he said, "I'm goin'. Time I broke in dis punk's skull." He pushed one fist into his hand and his knuckle bones cracked, his eyeballs and teeth standing out ivory white when he growled. 

       Beat stepped foreword from the corner and added, "I'm going too. When it comes to messing with the GGs, we protect our own."

       Corn nodded and agreed, "Then it's settled. Combo, Beat, and Rhyth are going to take out this maniac while the rest of us wait here at home base. Don't take long though."

       Cube leaned back against the wall, sulking. "Or he might just call the police again," she remarked darkly.

       The man shot an edged glare at her to tell her to shut her mouth and said, "Just be careful, ok."

       Beat smiled grimly and replied with certainty, "Sure thing. This asshole won't know what hit 'im."

--

       White electric stars dusted the city, flickering against glass windows. Everything felt muffled and stiff; Tokyo had been put on watch already because of this killer. In a way that was good, it was easier to spot the 'boys' that way, God knows they didn't need another run in with the police after what just went on. Beat lead the way, weaving them through dimly illuminated alleys and back ways. Rhyth followed; possessed only now by what lay ahead for them – facing **him**. She didn't feel the need to be on alert though, a little less cautious and frightened of everything around her. Strange as it seemed, at least now she was certain who the murderer was. He was a man, just a man. Flesh and blood, just like her, that's all. Not this supernatural monster she'd created in her mind, always there, always watching. Combo took up the rear, moving swiftly, ferocious in his attack mode. There was a silence between them now that was resounding as they weaved stealthy through their city like undulating shades. 

       There was a parking lot towards the fringe of the city used mainly for trailer's to rent out. People lived there as a form of cheap housing, stuffed close together. Most of the windows were dim; a few had the blue glow of a television seeping through. Still not much activity, they slid between them quietly until they reached a trailer hitched to an old rust-eaten truck. The makeshift mailbox outside read '105' in paint.  

       They stopped in front of it, staring up at the dimly lit windows. "It's this one," Beat said in a hushed tone. Rhyth nodded slowly, she knew it was up to her. They'd come along for her safety but ultimately this was about her, this was her ghost they were facing. Steeling herself, she stepped foreword and rapped on the door twice with her knuckles. 

       They heard rustling from the other side and muffled cuss words. Then the door slid open a wedge and dark eyes stared out at them, looking to each one nervously. "Yea? What do you want?" the thick voice asked. 

       Rhyth tried to peer into the murky innards of the trailer and responded, "Is Kento here?"

       The eyes, which had been lingering onto the hulking form of Combo some feet back, suddenly snapped to focus on her. "What'd you want with him?" it questioned in attempted casualty. 

       The young woman matched the edged stare and said, "I... I'm Rhyth. He'd remember me." 

       There was shock and disbelief that ruptured along the mahogany glare before flickering over her face. Then the door grated all the way open on aged hinges to reveal a man. Short dark hair, warmer skin, a nice build with a slight paunch where his jeans met his undershirt. He smiled at her then and it was a snickering fracture of teeth, slithering, and immediately she knew who he was, placed him in her memories. "Rhyth? Of course I remember you. You look... good, the same," he replied slowly, his eyes running over her.

       All her instincts told her to step back, press out into the night until there was nothing but miles and miles of asphalt between them. Still she kept her face stone and responded flatly, "So do you." 

       He smirked again and blinked before turning away from the door and allowing them room to enter. They followed behind him, a sparsely furnished living area greeting them. There was a small two-seat couch and a little black and white television. To the right of this and dividing the area was a string of disarray counters, cupboard doors swung open, and a fridge. It smelt of mold and hard liquor in there. 

Kento leaned back against the countertop and then looked down before glancing back up through his eyelashes, his eyes wet stones in the splashes of light from a lantern on the windowsill. "Been awhile, Rhyth-chan," he scoffed. 

Rhyth was numb at hearing that nickname, the one written to her in all those letters. Still she forced out a strained trail of laughter and her eyes were wide and glassy in fear. "I know, huh. How have you been?" she said in a voice taut to remain level. 

He shrugged and didn't take his gaze off her. "Fine, alright. You? Breaking hearts like always?" he responded sharply and his mouth wasn't even smiling anymore. 

There was a perverse glint in his eyes when he said it that made her breath scatter. "I'm fine," she replied, feeling some sort of electricity in the air, like everything was just moments away from sparking.

Kento gazed a second longer and then blinked and turned his head sideways. "Want a drink?" he asked and started into his kitchen area. She had a feeling he wasn't referring to orange juice. 

She shook her head, strands of indigo falling into her eyes, and said, "Uh... No, no thanks."

He was behind the counters now, the chipping linoleum tops separating him from them, and retrieved a glass from an overhead cupboard. Waving it in Combo's direction, he called, "I take it that thing don't drink." 

Combo stood by the door, in the shifting drifts of shadow, and watched Kento intently. His hard expression didn't even tremor. 

Kento looked back down and said, "Well I'll pour my own then." He reached into an underneath cupboard and pulled out a bottle of whiskey. He poured it into a glass, amber liquid swirling and casting bands against the opposite wall as it was struck by lamplight. "So, don't mean to cut through the bullshit, but why you here, Rhyth-chan? Last I heard, that restraining order was still active," he stated as he finished pouring, glancing up at her.

She nodded and then looked down at the frayed carpet before looking back up again. "It... is. I have some things I need to talk to you about –" 

He lifted his glass and watched the way the gilded light danced over the edges. Then he held it to his mouth and emptied it in one long shot. Resting it back on the counter, he stared at the empty glass now for a moment longer before his hand jerked out from under the counter, holding the long glaring barrel of a shotgun, which had until now been held and concealed under the lip of the counter. They'd been prepared for a knife, that was what had been used to kill all the others with, but not a gun. Kento had it pointed directly at Rhyth's chest and his eyes were so dark, like sinking in the deepest part of a lake, nothing but cold black. "And I have things to talk to you about," he said in a detached voice.

Rhyth felt her lungs unable to catch air and her mind was floating, numb. Her lips parted in a silent gasp, she couldn't take her eyes off the barrel of the gun. She stood in a stance, frozen, the air suddenly sinking and heavy all around her. Making everything seem slower in motion.

His eyes twisted with pleasure and his lips turned up into a shadowy smile. "You know how long I've waited for this huh, Rhyth? Do you have any idea how fucking long? To have you so vulnerable, so scared. I've dreamed of this moment," he drawled, still his eyes looked dead.

She didn't respond, the moonlight puddling blue and silver around her. There was a pass of silence before he commanded, "Step foreword." Rhyth's indigo eyes flickered up to decipher his face and she hesitated, remained still. "Step foreword or I'll put a hole through your pretty little skull!" he screamed, his face suddenly flooding with animation. She took a stride foreword, glaring at him. Kento's eyes were wet black in the light and again almost far off. Closer up now, she could see the bottles of prescription pills all piled up at the back of the counter. 

Beat stood between Rhyth and Combo, watching Kento's movements. The gun snug under his jacket was burning into him, if only he had a chance to slip it out. "Come on, man. This really what you want? You'll go to jail for life, maybe even get the big lethal dose. Is it really worth it all over a girl?" he questioned smarmily, hiding his fear and anxiety well. 

Kento seemed to notice him for the first time now and blinked slowly, staring at him. His mouth convulsed into a scowl when he spat, "All over a girl. All over a girl. My whole life was fucking ruined, all over a girl! I had to go to that crazy house for a year, people watching me all the time and keeping me high on their mind-fuck drugs. When I got out, wasn't much better. You think I could work any where with a restraining order and a history of violence on my record? Much less college? I got nothing, fucking nothing. All over a girl!" 

As he shouted, he reflexively moved the gun off of Rhyth to absently point at the wall. Combo, still ensnared in the shadows, took this as his opportunity. He charged foreword, body all hard weighted mass like the glittering metal of a freight train. His nostrils flared and his teeth gritted hard, eyeballs cracking with red veins. Kento turned hurriedly, fumbling with his gun, with just enough time to get a shot off but not aim. The bullet creased the air and singed into the flesh of his shoulder, rupturing into cartilage and splintering bone fragments and spluttering blood. Combo staggered and grimaced before colliding into the nearest wall and sliding down it, making the entire trailer quake. He was making small grunting noises of pain and flecks of white were bursting in his eyes as he drifted into a layer of unconsciousness. 

At the same time as Combo had taken the bullet to the shoulder, Beat reached into his jacket and yanked the handgun from his pants. He held it up and watched Combo fall, his mind disbelieving at seeing his giant teammate tumble down in pain. Then his eyes averted back to Kento, hard and revengeful, his gun shaking a little with pent up restraint. 

Kento swiveled the shotgun back in Rhyth's direction and met Beat's glaring hatred with a smile. "Go ahead, pull it. Not before I take her with me though," he goaded and those eyes were dark shells. Beat's brow straightened with realization and his finger fell from the trigger. "Put down the gun," Kento instructed smugly. Beat glowered at him and then let the handgun slip from his palm, clanking harmlessly to the ground. 

The young man narrowed his eyes, trying to read him. "Just let her go, Kento. They'll be here soon; it's only a matter of time before they find out," he attempted again to only be ignored. Kento was staring at Rhyth now and Beat could feel the breath rushing in his ears. 

His stare crawled over her in the outcropping of metal moonlight, just like all those year ago, going under her skin, making her feel unclean from the inside out. They seemed hollow now though and filmed over with drugs and murky wet. "You look exactly the same... Just like the night I fucked you, when you were crying and scared. Exactly the same," he said softly and shadows sunk along the curves of his face, as he was suddenly moving towards her.

Kento walked slowly towards her and she couldn't move, couldn't breath. Her swollen eyes were locked on his and her face flushed with a mix of fear. He was eating her up with just his gaze and not yet satisfied, wanting more. The gun moved closer until the barrel brushed the hollow of her neck, resting cold metal against her skin. Her lips parted in a little sob of terror and he reached a hand out towards her. Still she managed to force out in a tight, hard voice, "Don't touch me."   

He stared at her for a moment before fingers streaked out, slamming hard into her face, leaving long bruising streaks along her cheek. Her head fell sideways and hair spun into her eyes, her ears fizzing. She heard Beat shout in alarm, "Leave her alone!"  

Kento remained staring at her but yelled venomously, "You should be thanking me! You don't know about her yet but soon enough, you will. She's a man-eater, takes you in and spits you out. Leaves you nothing but bones." The gun was nestled there in the hole of her throat and she could feel it dig in deeper. 

Staring down at the ground, eyes burning, she suddenly screamed, "Then do it already!" Snapping her head foreword, mouth steeling into a line, she grabbed the barrel of the gun and pressed it down harder into her flesh. Rhyth went on, "You were the one following me... All this time, it was you. Well I'm done; I'm done being afraid! If you want me dead then go ahead."  

Kento was standing with his back to the window and his eyebrows rose into twin peaks. He growled, ""Watching you"? I didn't even know where you lived, you crazy bitch – " 

Rhyth's eyes swelled and there was a pause of confusion. "But... But you want to kill me... You killed all those people..." she trailed off. 

The wall was behind him and he was staring at her with her hatred and misunderstanding. Before he could say anything however, the dark puddle eyes exploded wide and his mouth parted in a silent release of pain. Then those dead eyes furled up slowly into his head and a thin coating of raw red ran over his tongue and teeth. The gun left her neck to be dangled by his side and then tumble to the ground. A thin river of blood spilled down his chin and he mumbled something through the suffocating liquid before he crumpled foreword. Something caught metallic in the light, a long knife protruding from his spine. Rhyth's gaze trailed upwards from Kento's final fall to see a shrouded figure standing behind him, by the window. Her mind sizzled with a scream; the tall figure was draped in a long black trench coat and a ski mask. 

"That would be me," the cold muffled voice replied and there was a hint of laughter behind it. Then he deftly moved foreword and bent down, ripping the knife from flesh with a sickening rush of sound. Pulling the gore-coated blade into his hand, he stood and kicked the body over now onto its back. Then the lanky figure went down again on its hunches and began working as if Rhyth wasn't even there, feet away, watching in horror. Bones fragments and crackled, blood puddles around him, as he continued expertly. Finally he was done within a few minutes and removed the pink, glistening heart. He held it up, the light smoothing over it, and placed it in a bag before hiding that in his jacket pocket. 

Rhyth had to fight against the churning in her stomach, the urge to scream out in horror. When he turned his attention again to her, she could see splatters of blood darkening his mask and jacket. He held the knife and she could see her reflection in it, the terror in her wide eyes. Everything seemed slow now, time stretching out around her, her mind hazy and burning. There was the sound of a hammer clicking down and the shot ricocheted in her skull. She saw the ripplings of pain in the slate eyes and the long gasps of air as he fell backwards, clawing onto the windowsill to hold him up. Fingers skidded over wood, knocking over the lantern, until finally he slid into a sitting position, back against the wall, eyes transfixed and ethereal. The flame of the lamp caught on the curtain and quickly it wove it way up the threads, tarring it apart with an orange glow. 

"Rhyth!" The young woman was jutted from the slowness of her own mind by Beat's voice and whirled around. "We have to get out of here," she told him urgently, as if it was her own thought. 

Beat lowered his arm and tossed the gun on the carpet. Then he dashed over towards Combo and grabbed his arm. "Yea. Help me with him," he replied. 

Rhyth went over to Combo, he was lying half on his side, a sliding puddle of blood around him. His skin was clammy as she touched his cheek gently, his face lifeless. Then his eyes blinked open and he released a sighing groan. "Easy, big guy. We gotta make an exit," she told him softly and helped grasp onto his other trunk arm. Together, they lifted him to his feet and shouldered his weight out the door. She could feel his labored breathing against her as they left the trailer and they paused for a moment to look back. The small trailer windows were raging with hot yellow flames and smoke was filtering out in dark columns against the night sky. 

"Come on, any moment the truck's gas tank's gonna catch," Beat told them and they turned around to hobble off into the night. Rhyth could feel Combo's blood seeping warm into her shirt and tried not to think of what that thing was back there.

--         

**End Notes: **Have any idea who that was? Is the killer dead? Why did the police cover up the fact that Kento was still in the area? Who knows! Much more to come, it gets supernatural creepy in the next chapter. And I'm thinking this could be possibly AU because I'm assuming a lot of stuff, like the police would have to have a reason to arrest Ruddies and not just throw them in prison without thinking about it. I'm writing Hayashi too the way I would like for my story, so... Yea. I think it will all make sense in the end.     


End file.
